A listing on SpareRoom.co.uk for a live-in manager of a London-based holiday let property who will not be paid but will still have to stump up £750pcm to sleep in the sitting room as a tenant has caused outrage at campaigning group Acorn.

The group claims it is the ‘perfect example of why landlords need regulating’. The advert says that the property owner is ‘looking for a live-in Airbnb host to manage two other rooms’ in the Crouch End apartment.

Pull-out bed

Nevertheless, the manager-cum-tenant will have to live in the open plan Kitchen/sitting room, which has a small double pull-out sofa bed with a ‘bulky’ mattress topper as, presumably, it is too hard without it.

In mitigation, the owner does point out that guests only use the kitchen ‘occasionally’ and their hours could be ‘restricted’ to allow for privacy.

‘Reduced rent’

The manager’s duties centre around checking in guests six to eight times per month. In exchange, they would not get any wages but would pay a reduced rent of £750pcm.

However, on the same site, prices for renting a room in a shared house in the area start £200 below that and they all have a proper bed.

Acorn has screenshotted the advert (see picture) and loaded it on X with the caption: “Remember this the next time the landlord lobby tries to tell you landlords don’t need any more regulation!”

Community Union Acorn has been taking a very active role in recent years in protecting tenants’ rights, whilst making regular attacks on both landlords and agents and has featured in The Neg a number of times.